Seattle, Washington story
A Lake Union Legacy
Lake Union has always been a hub for boating, but few spots capture that spirit like Gas Works Park. This groundbreaking landscape reclamation project was built on the site of a f…
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Lake Union has always been a hub for boating, but few spots capture that spirit like Gas Works Park. This groundbreaking landscape reclamation project was built on the site of a former coal gasification plant. The Seattle Gas Light Company operated here from 1906 to 1956, producing the fuel that powered a growing city.
After the plant closed, the city acquired the land in the early sixties and opened the park in 1975. Instead of erasing the industrial past, the park kept the machinery as sculptural elements. Now, you can stroll across the Great Earth Mound, which was actually built from excavated material found right on site.
It's a place where industrial wreckage was transformed into one of the city's most iconic waterfront views.
Updated June 2026